They Need to Teach This in American Schools
Taiwan has an immense, rich history for a land the size of Maryland with a population about the same as Florida. You could spend forever on their relations with China and Japan. “Taiwan Travelogue” by Yang Shuang-zi focuses on a curious Japanese novelist in Taiwan who falls for her Taiwanese interpreter on a culture bus-esque trip around the island nation.
Although I expected to learn some things, I did not expect so much about food, leading me to realize that I know less about Japanese and Taiwanese cuisine than I previously thought. Luckily, like any worthy translator, King takes a lot of time to teach you new vocabulary, though those of average aptitude will need to look back a few times.
For about the third time this year, Goodreads spoiled a plot twist by naming a genre that would not apply unless “something” happens that did not even begin to occur by the middle of the novel. This did not detract from the cultural experience I enjoyed, but it does not allow the reader to discover things organically.
The most engaging parts take the form of dialogue, when you can really see the bizarre relationship between the two women evolve and devolve. Can you ever truly love your implied oppressor? Are conflicts between individuals and those between cultures often the same thing? With so much left unspoken, the risk of misunderstanding increases. A language barrier only exacerbates these difficult moments.
If you tend to skip over the author’s notes at the end of the book, I would recommend giving them a chance here. So many writers and translators kept this story alive, and I forgot that we were reading about real people. They do not teach us enough about Taiwan and Japan in school, and we would benefit from learning.
(06/21/26)
